GOOD FOR THE SOUL
[ MISSING THE MOMENT? | Bryan Duncan ]
Do you remember that one concert where you if you are really right with God, He will choose played through an awesome song set nearly you to lead the masses out of bondage to the flawlessly? And then the euphoria turned to Promised Land. Personally, I don’ t think Moses depression because hardly anyone was there played a guitar. to hear it. Maybe that was just me. My greatest suffering has come from an expectation beyond One thing I’ ve had to repent of in recent years my gifts. I’ m most unhappy when I cannot love is that I have too often been ashamed to call the music I make because of the response I myself a“ Christian Musician”. Yes, the label don’ t get. It’ s like pulling off an incredible high is pretty restricting in music circles because it note, and knowing that most people don’ t even conjures up this awful illusion of someone“ who know what key you’ re in. or that you nearly couldn’ t make it in the real world,” or maybe ruptured a kidney to hit it. it’ s the typecasting that you are embarrassingly narrow minded and could not possibly That’ s probably why most of us spend too embrace true artistic endeavor. Let’ s face it, much time trying to impress other musicians, there are snobs in every line of work. But the because at least they understand what you are real suffering here is that I might have an illusion doing. Oswald Chambers said,“ Many of the about what I think other people think. things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain stem from the fact that we suffer from Occasionally I will do a concert at places that illusions.” Like the one I have most often, that if I can’ t afford anything. I call them‘ secret service’ am really good I will magically float to the top of gigs. Like the Men’ s Recovery facility I visited popularity. Or maybe in Christian Music it’ s that this month. Standing before a room full of men
Quality Comfort Style who have pretty much lost everything through hard living, I suddenly realized that songs about girls and cars, and defiant Rock‘ n Roll were about as anemic as you could get in this world. But with every song I delivered I felt a strength of purpose that only comes with singing my faith. Singing songs of faith goes way beyond the top 40. Not only was I offering strength to these men( and they were responding with enthusiasm), but I was also finding my own strength of faith in simply doing what I love. The best thing about Christian music is that the songs come with a light at the end of this tunnel.
I think I was surprised here because I had no expectation at this event. I didn’ t pull up in limousine, rock star fashion, proving my talent by showing my wealth. I had no entourage coming to this smelly half-way house. Nobody here knew my name or had any of my records. And there was an awkward silence when I walked to the front of the room unannounced because none of us could see past our own assumptions. As soon as I began to express what I’ m learning with music I realized something I too often forget; that the medium of music and lyric has a power all its own. It needs no other authority to invade a man’ s soul. We discover feelings we didn’ t know we had until they were drawn out. Too often I’ m too busy tightening the nuts and bolts of the mechanism to actually see the miracle.
LONG HOLLOW LEATHER
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The worst thing I do as a musician is to discount the power of a song because it didn’ t meet some expectation I carry around subconsciously. There might be a reason why a simple song gets the best response. Because maybe there’ s nothing hindering the feeling it evokes. A feeling that gets lost too often in too many arpeggios. Don’ t let your expectations ruin the moment.
42 Sep � Oct 2016 ChristianMusician. com